Overview
- Premier Scott Moe set goals to cut surgery waits to three months by 2028 and ensure 90% of diagnostics occur within 60 days, with 450,000 surgeries targeted over four years.
- The province plans to expand diagnostic capacity and contract more publicly funded procedures to private surgical clinics to increase throughput.
- Virtual care will be offered to all residents through a phased rollout, and new urgent care centres are planned for Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert, Moose Jaw and North Battleford.
- The workforce push includes streamlined recruitment, more training seats and an expanded nurse practitioner role, with 26 new NP seats split between the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina for a 45% capacity boost.
- The government will offer $78,000 over two years for registered nurses to train as nurse practitioners under return-for-service, as Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill highlights virtual supports for unattached patients and the NDP criticizes execution and staffing risks.